Sayly

Yep! Going down with 5 dogs and coming back with 3.

Hoping to title the male Aussie Shepherd I show, fingers crossed.

We were going to camp but got an offer to stay with another Aussie Shepherd person! Camped a couple of years back when it was bloody freezing!

We had Ringies living in our big old gum out the front for a while, I like both. ;) Baby brushies are gorgeous though!

My OH's parents have one living in their roof above their laundry/pantry. Whenever he gets up at night their two terriers race around barking and growling. The possum has lived there for yonks, doesn't seem to mind the noise.

KitKat - wow I'm surprised the cat didn't eat it! What a good girl! Must have been cute.

BC4ME - how cute! Was it a ring tail? The one we took off Holly looks like a brushy.

We just rescued baby possum again! This time from Poppy's mouth! I brought her in so she can sleep on the bed and she brought the possum with her and dropped it just inside the backdoor when I saw it and yelled. I thought it was dead for sure but there wasn't a mark on it. It's 11pm here so we brought all the dogs in from outside and put the possum back in it's hollow. Mum's going to ring some friends tomorrow, they are fauna rescuers and run Wombat Rise Sanctuary and see what they say.

It was so cute! Poor thing must be so scared.

aw how cute!

and what a good girl for letting it use her as its mummy.

I know! Very proud of my little girl. She was such a mother type with her 1/2 siblings, I think she would make a lovely mother. She's so gentle and loving. Very cute!

Im pretty sure Peach was the one who ate a quarter of my chicken.. Why did I get the naughty one!?

Maybe Sparky taught her? :p Maizie can be naughty... She's stubborn as and can be a snob. She doesn't like Mum or James, but loves me, Dad and my brother. She WON'T go to Mum at all UNLESS no one else is around. Usually the dogs adore Mum. Little wench. Oh OT, I have some Maizie pics loading, will put them in the Aussie thread! As if they are 5 months!!!

Half sis Maizie didn't seem too interested in eating it Dotty! Even Ruby didn't seem to want to eat him/her. Poppy and Gracie didn't notice it.

I can't get over it's cuteness and how wonderful Holly was! Trust Holly to get a cling-on!

Today Holly played foster mum to the cutest of babies...

Mum went outside for something else and Holly came up to her sort of looking at her side. Mum initially thought she'd ripped her side open! She called her over and had a closer look and the baby possum is what she found latched on to Holly's side.

We saw mum possum with two babies in one of our trees last night, baby must have fallen out of the log this arvo. It must have just latched on to the first furry thing it found - which happened to be Holly! Poor thing, Mum said it was so scared.

Holly was such a good girl, didn't try to eat it, just came up to Mum like "Uh... can you get it off...?"

Somehow the poor thing managed to keep away from the terriers! If Gracie or Poppy had found it, it would have been dead in a couple of seconds.

I'm very proud of Ms Holly not trying to eat it.

Mum took it off and got Dad to take the pictures, then popped it back in the hollow where it's mum and sibling were. Hope it's ok and the dogs' and Mum's scent don't make it smell too much for the mum to continue looking after.

Baby Borders are uber cute!

Thanks for all the input guys! Very much appreciated. I think we will try without the vet bed for our first litter, or may get one and see what we think, and perhaps slowly purchase a few more vet beds.

Lots of 2nd hand towels, some old nappies and some cheap hand towels all set, I will get a few more though. Dad can get bucket loads of newspapers from work, so that's a bonus.

BIS is the Scottie! Ch Roundtown Mercedes Of Maryscot - Sadie

Herding Group winner - Puli Ch Cordmaker Field Of Dreams "Conrad" - he also won Group in 2009

http://www.dogzonline.com.au/breeds/profile.asp?dog=8599

Aww cute Whippet pups!

I am getting a hydrobath systems whelping box. One of my mentors has one and loves it.

Copious amounts of newspaper and polar fleece.

Editing to add: Some of the discount shops have large polarfleece blankets/panels for a very cheap price. I found these great between wash days and when the puppies were very young and were finding the dry bed confusing (trying to snuggle in to nurse from it). They're easy to wash and like dry bed, have the effect of wicking away moisture so that the fleece was staying relatively dry but the newspaper underneat was saturated.

We have enough polar fleece here that I may just try that instead of the vet bed for our first litter. If we aren't happy with it, then I'll get some vet beds. Thanks Ellz.

That's the cheapest I've been able to find too.

For 4 vet beds the right size, I'm looking at $162 plus about $25 for postage.

Thanks everyone.

We probably will end up going with the vet bed, there doesn't seem to be anything as good. Will look into the sherpa though.

Thaks everyone.

Nothing wrong with vet beds except the price! Was just interested in what others use, and what might be suitable without the price tag.

Other than Vet Beds, what are good options for the bottom of the whelping box?

What do you use?

Thanks everyone.

The stud dog owner is an experienced breeder and only expects payment once the pregnancy is confirmed.

Any bitches from now on will be bred much earlier than these girls, it just hasn't worked with these two ladies as we didn't expect to breed Ruby initially and Holly has been a toss up on if we will breed from her or not.

I have an aussie that is 12 months old and he has dew claws on the back feet. He was the only one in the litter with them and we didnt even really notice until he was a week old and it was too late to nip them off. If he needs any vet stuff later he will have them taken off then.

JRT are usually born with dew claws and occassionally i have seen GSD's with them.

They are often not much of a problem but it is often best to get rid of them especially in some of the working breeds.

I've heard of a couple of Aussie litters were one or two pups er litter had rear dew claws.

Thanks.

The eski is a really good idea! Wouldn't have thought of that.

I have two terry towelling nappies left over from when my brother was born but Dad's used the rest! I think I'll grab another pack. Sounds stupid but places like Big W and Target would sell them in the baby department wouldn't they? Never had anything to do with babies of the human kind.

I have a small box already, it's got the start of my whelping kit in it at the moment. Still need heating pads/hot water bottles.

Will add a couple more haemostats to the list.

Will add a bucket to the list. Bit sad if I puked, I'm studying to be a vet.

My *p*didnt stand for puking

Ok!

riesenhaft - hopefully I don't need some of what is on the list. Won't be surprised if I don't use much of it, but I'd rather have it in case I do.

You are more sorted then me :D

My bitch comes into season in april and i havent brought a thing yet...

I haven't bought alot, just making a list so I can do it slowly.

I use gloves as the metallic smell of the birthing fluid stays on your hands for AGES!!!

Have you got a spot to sleep with all that gear there??

I use cotton nappies rather than towels to dry off my pups. They are smaller, white and easier to handle and then dump in a bucket of nappysan after each puppy.

ETA: I use clamps if I need to clamp the umbilical cord. I will think of the correct ones later I am sure.

I've helped with whelpings before and been pretty hands on (got to deliver 1/2 the litter) but I didn't find the smell stayed on my hands? I found alot of it went under my nails though and I spent ages getting it out later, even though my nails are short. :D

I have a bed about 1/2 a metre from where the whelping box will be.

I have just picked up some nice cheap hand towels that are white which I can nappysan.

Thank you. I'm getting excited but it's still months off.

whippets - what things don't you have?

Thanks.

The eski is a really good idea! Wouldn't have thought of that.

I have two terry towelling nappies left over from when my brother was born but Dad's used the rest! I think I'll grab another pack. Sounds stupid but places like Big W and Target would sell them in the baby department wouldn't they? Never had anything to do with babies of the human kind.

I have a small box already, it's got the start of my whelping kit in it at the moment. Still need heating pads/hot water bottles.

Will add a couple more haemostats to the list.

Will add a bucket to the list. Bit sad if I puked, I'm studying to be a vet.

Thanks again Ozstar. Evap milk sounds easier and may well be better then. Thanks.

SpikesPuppy - where I plan on having the whelping box is right next to a desk I can use.

I forgot to add the blankets for the pups if travelling, already have those.

Thanks.